Well.
I was expecting madness on the TV Comedy side this morning when The Golden Globe nominations were announced. I ranted about it yesterday in my post about the SAG nominations. So while I am not happy about the insanity that is the TV Comedy section of the Globe Nominations, as LEAST I was prepared. I was NOT prepared for the madness of the drama nominations. Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Best Television Series — Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom
THEY SNUBBED MAD MEN.
I’ll say it again.
THEY SNUBBED MAD MEN. The show that THEY were the first real champion of. The show that has won this award THREE TIMES.
The Hollywood Foreign Press is notorious for not only loving shiny new playthings but for constantly sucking up to super famous people. And The Newsroom is both a shiny new plaything and it’s from a sort of well known guy called Aaron Sorkin. So of COURSE The HFPA was going to fawn over The Newsroom. I just never thought it would be at the expense of Mad Men. (Also, I am saying all of this as someone who is a FAN of The Newsroom. I really am. But…but…MAD MEN THOUGH, YOU GUYS!!)
Also, I still don’t get the obsession with Boardwalk Empire. It bored me to tears in the first few episodes of Season One, so I gave up on it. I can see why it’s an awards magnet: it’s a lavishly designed period piece (see also: Downton Abbey, except Downton is freaking flawless and emotionally engaging). I just never really connected with Boardwalk, so I gave up. Should I try again in ALL of my free time, dear readers? Let me know.
All of this being said, I still think this award is Homeland‘s to lose.
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland
While the nominee list is not at all surprising, at it is the exact same line-up for the SAGs. I’ve been racking my brain to think of someone else who should be in this spot (especially on a Network drama) and I can’t think of anyone (as I would probably put all of Parenthood in supporting categories. Except for maybe Peter Krause). So these are your five drama nominees for the foreseeable future of TV Awards.
And yes, I know Dexter‘s Michael C. Hall isn’t on this list. I’ve never gotten into Dexter either, y’all. I tried. It didn’t happen.
Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Connie Britton, Nashville
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
ALL HAIL QUEEN CONNIE.
I KNEW this would be a Golden Globe magnet of a role for her. It would be nice if the Emmys follow suit. Connie deserves all the awards for her hair alone. Danes, Marguiles, and Dockery are all nominated in this category for SAG, and the other two SAG nominees (Lange and Smith) are nominated in other categories here (TV Movie/Miniseries and Supporting Actress, respectively). The Globes love them some Claire Danes. She’s won three times (for My So Called Life, Temple Grandin and Homeland last year). I don’t really foresee anyone challenging her for this.
Best Television Series — Comedy Or Musical
The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash
Yes. You are reading this correctly. Smash got nominated for best television comedy over 30 Rock. Over The Office (which again, while it is a shadow of itself, it IS its final hurrah). Over Parks and Recreation. Over Community. Over Louie.
Over their favorite show Glee, the musical series I was EXPECTING to get nominated this morning.
They DO realize that Smash is a comedy by mistake, right? Cause Nashville has just as much music as Smash does, and it was put in the drama category.
Also, does Showtime give free subscriptions to all members of the HFPA?? Cause they are freaking OBSESSED with Episodes.
While everyone automatically assumes this will go to Modern Family, the Globes like to be a little wacky. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say this will be the first major award for Girls.
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series — Comedy Or Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis C.K., Louis
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Like I said. The HPFA probably all get free subscriptions to Showtime as we have two Showtime Actors (LeBlanc and Cheadle) here. Honestly, I can’t even discuss this category. Outside of Louis C.K., it bores me to TEARS. Use some imagination with your nominees. I am HONESTLY surprised that given their love of Friends, Matthew Perry is not here for Go On. The Globes are usually all about shiny new toys. And Matt Perry is TV Royalty.
Also, I’m just gonna leave this here for you, presented without comment:
Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series — Comedy Or Musical
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation
Actually, I am quite happy with this category. How awkward would it have been to have Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host and NOT nominate them? It’s a shame neither of them will win though. I hope they make the best joke EVER about it.
Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
Game Change
The Girl
Hatfield & McCoys
The Hour
Political Animals
I need to watch more miniseries/TV Movies. I am surprised that Sherlock isn’t here, but I am assuming The Hour took the BBC slot. Cause there can only be one.
*Eye Roll*
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Costner, Hatfields and McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Toby Jones, The Girl
Clive Owen, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
Sienna Miller, The Girl
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals
BENEDICT. That is all I have to say.
Now let me take a second to rant. You may have noticed there has yet to be a mention about any Supporting TV Actors. This is because the Golden Globes STUPIDLY lump all supporting television performances into ONE category. So Martin Freeman’s BRILLIANT (and BAFTA winning) performance as John Watson in Sherlock is in the same category as Ty Burrell’s Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) and Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones). And NONE of these guys are nominated. Burrell and Dinklage are both Emmy winners.
Quite frankly, it’s complete horse shit that the supporting actors are done this way. It is three times the field for five slots. And you can’t compare the work done on the three different genres. They don’t for the leading categories!! It’s just disrespectful to character actors everywhere. Some shows would be NOTHING without their supporting cast. NOTHING!
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Ed Harris, Game Change
Danny Huston, Magic City
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Here we have 2 nominees from a Drama Series (Huston and Patinkin), 2 Comedy nominees (Greenfield and perennial nominee Stonestreet) and one TV movie nominee (Harris). HOW DO YOU CHOOSE?!! Harris did excellent work as John McCain in Game Change. New Girl is not New Girl without Greenfield’s Schmidt. Mandy Patinkin is freaking Mandy Patinkin. Holla. Not to mention people who AREN’T on this list. In addition to the ones I mentioned above, a few names immediately come to mind: Aaron Paul. Nick Offerman. Danny Pudi. Jim Rash. Neil Patrick Harris. Josh Charles. Alan Cumming. Damon Wayans Jr. I could go on and on. The Supporting Field is too deep and too brilliant to be put into one group.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
3 drama nominees (Panettiere, Panjabi, and Dame Maggie), 1 comedy nominee (Vergara) and one movie/mini nominee (Paulson). My rant for the men applies. This is ridiculous.
Also…HAYDEN PANETTIERE OVER CHRISTINA HENDRICKS. I cannot.
Still with me? Because we still have all the film nominations to go through!!
Best Motion Picture — Drama
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
The Hollywood Foreign Press loves them some Quentin Tarantino. And thus Django Unchained comes ROARING into the Oscar Race.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight
As Les Mis AND Silver Linings Playbook are oddly in the Musical/Comedy Division (NEITHER are very comedic, though Les Mis is in that category only because it is a musical) potential Oscar Nominees Hugh Jackman and Bradley Cooper are not here, making room for Gere and Phoenix. DDL takes this in a cake walk. But the race for the five slots for the Oscar Race is VERY interesting. The way I look at it, there are six guys (DDL, Jackman, Hawkes, Washington, Phoenix and Cooper) vying for five spots. I think it is a fight to the death between Cooper and Phoenix for that last slot…and I think it will go to Cooper, as Phoenix, while talented, is an a-hole. And that, like it or not, plays a big part. Just ask Russell Crowe post phone throwing incident.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
Take out Weisz and put in Silver Linings‘ Jennifer Lawrence, and this is your likely Oscar line-up. I have NO IDEA who will win this one.
Best Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook
Salmon Fishing seems like the randomest of random nominees, no? Les Mis takes this. No contest.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson
Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
It seems the Globes are the only ones who ever give Ewan McGregor any respect. This is the one thing I will thank you for, HPFA. Jackman’s name is already engraved on this. Will he challenge DDL for the Oscar??
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs
NEVER rule out how much the HFPA loves Queen Meryl. I missed Hope Springs in the theatres, but heard her performance was lovely. Still, expect this to go to Lawrence.
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Leo’s nomination is proof how much the HFPA love their marquee celebs. HOW IS DENIRO NOT IN THIS?!?! Lame.
Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
What did I say yesterday? All Supporting Actress awards will go to Hathaway. So relax, all you other ladies. Feel free to indulge in the free champagne right away!
Best Director — Motion Picture
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Very interesting that they didn’t nominate Les Mis director Tom Hooper. Do they think that the movie directed itself? I also blame this on their blatant worship of all things Tarantino.
I could go into all the nominees for music and writing, but we all know that the HFPA doesn’t really know anything about those 🙂
Sage and I will hopefully be live blogging the Globes when they air on January 13th. Like, the celebrities there, we will be doing so with a LOT of wine. So we will be more fun as the evening progresses…join us then, will you please?
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